Electrical relay system



Nov. 16, 1948. s. B. HALL 2,454,161

ELECTRICAL: RELAY SYSTEM Filed May '7, 1946- WITNESSES; r lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1948 ELECTRICAL RELAY SYSTEM Sherman B. Hall, Brockway, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 7, 1946, Serial No. 667,980

My invention relates to an electric system and 3 Claims. (Cl. 175-320) more particularly to a system of control for obtaining a positive action on a mechanical element from electromagnetic means substantially unaffected by vibration,

The vibrations on a torpedo often interrupt circuits in the electric control of a torpedo thereby affecting the reliability of the operation of the elevator rudders or steering rudders, or some other element.

One broad object of my invention is the pro vision of circuit means so arranged that the operating efiect of a particular circuit is not affected by the temporary opening or closing of contacts due to vibration.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an electrical lock-in relay system for accomplishing positive and reliable action of the elevator rudders of a torpedo in spite of the open ing or closing due to vibration of the contacts in the control circuits for the rudders.

The objects recited are merely illustrative of my invention. Many other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which:

The single figure is a diagrammatic showing of my invention as applied to the depth control of a torpedo,

In the figure the rudders are considered at the right which represents the aft end of the torpedo. Nose-up operation of the torpedo thus causes the pendulum P to swing counterclockwise whereas nose-down operation will cause the pendulum P to swing clockwise. It is, of course, ap-Y parent that the pendulum actually hangs vertically, except for such efiect the hydrostatic device H may produce on the pendulum, and that the angular movement is merely with reference to the torpedo housing T.

After the torpedo is under way in the water buses I and. 4 are energized and, assuming for the moment that the torpedo is at the proper depth and traveling with the proper aspect angle so that the pendulum is in the neutral position shown, then a circuit is established from bus I through conductor 8, contacts 3, the up elevator solenoid UE to the bus 4.

As the torpedo nose moves to a small nose-up position from the horizontal positoin assumed, the movable contact 5 on the pendulum makes contact with the fixed contact 6, whereupon a circuit is established from the conductor I through contacts 5 and 6, actuating coil 1 of relay I and conductor 8 to bus 4. Relay I closes contacts 9 thereby energizing the actuating coil III of the elevator rudder control relay IV.

The operation of this relay IV causes the opening of contacts 3 and the closing of contacts II. The up-rudder solenoid UE. is thus deenergized and the down rudder solenoid DE is energized. The operation of relay IV also causes the closing of contacts I3 whereupon a circuit is established from bus I through conductor I2, contacts I3, actuating coil I I of the relay II, contacts I5 of the relay III to the bus 4.

The operation of relay II closes the contacts I6 whereupon the energization of relay IV is made independent of the circuit through contacts 9 and thus indirectly of contacts 5 and 6. This is an important feature of my invention.

It will be noted that the operation of relay II also closes the contacts IS. The energization of relay II is thus made independent of the position of contacts I3. Vibration that might open contacts I 3 is not likely at the same instant to open contacts I9. Even if the opening of contacts I3 and I 9 might occur at substantially the same time, the inherent inductive time constants are such that no erroneous action can take place on the elevator rudders.

There is considerable vibration on a torpedo; the result is that contacts 5 and 6, especially when contact is first made, open and close due to vibration. Relay I may even open and close the contacts 9 because of vibration.

When contacts 5 and 6 first engage, relays I, IV and II operate in very rapid succession so that contacts I 6 are in closed condition before any circuit interruptions can take place at contacts 5 .and 6, or contacts 9. Further, the inherent inductive time constants of relays I, II and IV is such that momentary interruption of the magnetomotive force resulting from the connection of the coils to the buses I and 4 will not alter the down rudder position. Still further, the inductive time constants and the mechanical sizes of relays I, II and IV are different so that the probability of all the contacts 5 and 5, 9, I6 and I! being open at the same time and for a sufiicient time period to alter the down rudder position, at the time when the down rudder position is Wanted, can, for all practical purposes, be ruled out.

When the torpedo swings through the horizontal position from the nose-up position to the nose-down position relay I is deenergized and as soon as contact 5 engages with the stationary contact I1, a circuit is established from bus I 3 through contacts 5 and I! and actuating coil l8 of relay III to bus 4.

Operation of relay III opens the contacts 15 thereby deenergizing relay II. Contacts l6 and I9 are thus opened. Since contacts 9 are already open, the relay IV is deenergized. The up rudder solenoid UE is thus energized by the closure of contacts 3. Y

Again the vibration of the torpedo, 'for the same reasons above pointed out, does not afiect the up rudder operation during the interim needed.

With my control circuit, it is possible to provide close caging on the depth control, that is, contacts 5 and H may be so spaced that but a small travel of contact 5 is necessary to-make contact with either contacts 6 or ll. With my control, no resilient contacts are needed at the contact assembly comprising the contacts 5, 8 and Il. Resilient contacts produce a force on the pendulum thus altering the control effect of the pendulum.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my electric control system, I do not wish to be limited to the particular showing made but wish to be limited only by the scope of claims hereto appended.-

I claim as my invention:

1. In a system of control, in combination, a circuit to be controlled, switching means for controlling'the energization of said circuit, a pair of supply terminals for supplying electric energy to the system of control, a solenoid for actuating said switching means, said solenoid havingone terminal connected to one supply terminal and having the other terminal connected through two parallel circuits to the other supply terminal, a pair of switches one in each of said parallel circuits, a second solenoid having one terminal connected to one supply terminal and having the other terminal connected through two. parallel circuits to the other supply terminal, a second pair of switches one in each of said last-named parallel circuits, one of said last-named switches being operable by the first solenoid and the other of said last-named switches being operable by the second solenoid, a third solenoid, means for connecting the third solenoid to the supply terminals, one of said two first-named switches being operable by the last-named solenoid and the other being operable by said second-named solenoid.

In a system of control, in combination, a circuit to be controlled, switching means for controlling the energizationof said circuit, a pair oi supply terminals for supplying electric energy to the system of control, a solenoid for actuating said switching means, said solenoid having one terminal connected to one supply terminal and the other of said last-named switches being operable by the second solenoid, a third solenoid, means for connecting the third solenoid to the supply terminals, one of said two first-named switches being operable by the last-named solenoid and the other being operable by said secondnamed solenoid, and a fourth solenoid disposed to be connected to said supply terminals for causing the energization of the second solenoid upon deenergization of the third solenoid.

3. In a system of control, in combination, a base subject to angular movement in a vertical plane, a pendulum mounted on the base for angular movement on a horizontal axis, a contact on the pendulum, a pair of closely spaced stationary contacts on opposite sides of the contact on the pendulum, whereby relatively small swings of the pendulum from a neutral position will make contact with eitherone or the other of said stationary contacts depending on the direction of the swing of the pendulum, a pair of supply terminals one being connected to the contact on the pendulum, a pair of solenoids connected to the respective stationary contacts and the other supply terminal to thus be selectively energized by the swing of the pendulum, three other solenoids,switch contacts operable by one of said first two mentioned solenoids for energizing the first of the last three mentioned solenoids, switch contacts operable by the first of said last three solenoids for energizing the second and third of said last three solenoids, and switch contacts operable by second of the lastthree mentioned solenoids for energizing the first and second of the last three mentioned solenoids.

SHERMAN B. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES-' PATENTS Leonard Mar. 18, '1947 

